1. Field of the Invention:
This invention relates to novel polyoxyalkylene carbazole adducts and a method for the production thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
Heretofore, the reaction of carbazole with an alkylene oxide, particularly ethylene oxide, has been effected by a procedure which comprises converting carbazole into an alkali metal salt of carbazole and allowing 1 mol of ethylene oxide to react upon the salt thereby effecting synthesis of N-hydroxyethylene carbazole, then dehydrating N-hydroxyethyl carbazole into vinyl carbazole and polymerizing vinyl carbazole thereby producing polyvinyl carbazole [U.S. Pat. No. 3,894,04, Japanese Patent Publication No. 49-9,468, C.A. 60:15837c (1964) and C.A. 63:565b (1965)].
We have made a study in search of means of effectively utilizing carbazole. They have consequently found that adducts obtained by adding alkylene oxides in an average of 2 to 1,000 mols to carbazole in a solvent, with a hydroxide or oxide of an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal used as a catalyst, namely in an extremely small amount, especially adducts obtained similarly by adding ethylene oxide in 5 to 500 mols, can be effectively utilized as water-soluble cation-nonionic surfactants having low-foaming property, heat resistance, electroconductivity and a peculiar surface characteristic. This invention has been perfected as the result.
An object of this invention is to provide novel polyoxyalkylene carbazole adducts and a method for the production thereof.